Coming into this season off an 0-21 season last year, Dayton was just looking to get better everyday.

So far, Dayton has won seven games and has vastly improved. Junior forward William Francis has been at the forefront of that improvement.

Francis currently leads the Union County Ice Hockey League in goals with 38, which also ranks ninth in the state. Going through the winless season a year ago has helped Dayton as a team, according to Francis.

"From last season, we've all improved a lot," he said. "A lot of us didn't think we were going to do as well as we've done. The seniors have struggled through three bad years and we've had some success this season."

As Francis goes, so goes Dayton's offense. He has 38 of his team's 65 goals on the season. His breakout game was also the team's first win in over a year. In an 8-4 victory over Newark East Side, Francis scored five goals in the victory. He has 11 multi-goal games as well as four games with at least four goals and two five-goal games. Francis attributes his offensive triumphs to playing on a line with familiar faces.

"I've had a lot of help from Cristian Fernandez, a freshman and Jason Hoehn, a junior," said Francis. "I've played travel with them before so we know each other. They've helped a lot. We've worked well together."

With only five seniors on the team, Dayton has a majority of younger players on its roster. The future could be bright for this young bunch heading into next season. Moving up the UCIHL standings is something that Francis has his eyes set on for next year.

"It’s been tough this year but last year was worse," said Francis. "Going from a winless season to seven wins is big. I think we’re all looking forward to next year."